By Jasmine Perdue

“Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent.  A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.”                     Hebrews 12:15 (MSG)

I don’t know about you, but I do not enjoy gardening.  There are certain hobbies that I just cannot seem to appreciate and gardening is one of them.  It seems like every time you turn around there are more and more weeds to pull up.  It is amazing how fast they can pop up and destroy the look of your beautiful flower beds.  It seems to me you can pull them up and get everything looking nice and manicured only to turn around and hear them say,  “Hahaha! You only thought you had dealt with me.  I am back!”

So I did a google search on weeds and their devastation on plants and crops.  Weeds are generally plants that have absolutely no redeeming value as far as food, nutrition, or medicine is concerned.  They have accelerated growth patterns and are often poisonous if eaten.  Weeds compete with flowers, grasses, vegetable and fruit plants for water, sunlight, and nutrients leaving non-weed plants starving. The devastation that invasive weeds inflict is well documented.

So you may be wondering what we can learn from a lesson on weeds.

Well what about the “weeds” of the flesh, such as jealousy, discontentment, selfishness, pride, anger, worry and bitterness?

Just like weeds can grow, spread, and ruin a whole garden quickly,  a single thought from the devil can grow rapidly, take root, and choke out our peace, joy, and contentment.

It is amazing how quickly a destructive thought multiplies and can have us consumed on issues that have no redeeming value at all.

Let me give you a personal example of how this happened in my life.

My husband and I struggled to have children.  Since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a mom.  After four years and losing two children, the devil started planting seeds in my mind of God not wanting me to have children.  I entertained that thought for a while, then I started questioning God’s love for me.

Did God not want me to be happy?  Did God just want to take away the very thing I have dreamed of my entire life?

Then it grew into anger and bitterness every time I was out and saw a pregnant woman.

Why God are you punishing me?  Why do I constantly have to be surrounded by glowing pregnant women?  You are just rubbing it in my face.

See how quickly one thought spread?  The devil planted one weed that took me about a year to gain control of.  I wasted so much time on false and destructive thoughts when God was just growing me and teaching me lessons to get me where I needed to go.

He was not out to get me but to fulfill His perfect plan for my life.  God was not out to hurt me but to show me more of His love, peace, and grace than I had ever known.

God wanted me to have children, but it simply was not His perfect timing yet.  I allowed my weeds to get out of hand and it choked out the TRUTH of God, His love, and His promises in His Word.

My friends, don’t let the weeds in.  Keep watch for the weeds.  Take every destructive thought captive before it takes you captive.

We must choose daily to fill our hearts and minds with the truths of the Word that can set us free.  We can’t fight them if we are not seeking the Lord and His help.

2 Corinthians 10:5b says, “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.”

We can’t fight the weeds without God’s powerful tools.  We must use the tools of prayer and Scripture to destroy lies, doubts, and fears.

The weeds will come.  The question is, will you be watching and armed to destroy them before they destroy you?